Report: Pulte HQ Bailing out of Detroit

[Gistok]

I love all the local elites hand-wringing over this. How could Pulte be so arrogant? This is how capitalism works, dudes. These corporations you fall all over yourselves to brown-nose, they don't love you back. That's the difference between corporation-people and people-people.

What are you talking about?? Did you even read the entire thread??

There's about 5 posts related to Pulte and 70 related to Atlanta and Gov. Snyder.... and yet you gripe about those 5 posts related to Pulte?? Ooooookay....

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Downtown just about abandoned?

I didn't stutter.

[brizee]

I love all the local elites hand-wringing over this. How could Pulte be so arrogant? This is how capitalism works, dudes. These corporations you fall all over yourselves to brown-nose, they don't love you back. That's the difference between corporation-people and people-people.

Some of those quotes are golden!

It's total arrogance that Pulte didn't have the courtesy to let the MEDC [Michigan Economic Development Corporation] and Gov. Snyder know ahead of time. Especially after all Snyder has done to make Michigan a right-to-work state and bring down labor costs. It's mind-boggling.

Awwww....

[Honky Tonk]

It's total arrogance that Pulte didn't have the courtesy to let the MEDC [Michigan Economic Development Corporation] and Gov. Snyder know ahead of time. Especially after all Snyder has done to make Michigan a right-to-leave state and take labor away. It's mind-boggling.

[jerrytimes]

The only reason the state is doing ok right now economically is because of the auto industry bailout, which, of course, the Republicans opposed.

Snyder's economic scorecard only looks stronger than Granholm's because of fortunate timing. He seems to think that corporations want the absolute cheapest, least regulated environment, yet why are corporations in California and New York and not Mississippi and Arkansas?

You're too entertaining.

[Trumpeteer]

I didn't stutter.

Well then you're not particularly BRIGHT as your comment isn't close to reality. IF you've ever visited downtown Atlanta even you might be smart enough to see that it's very active and alive. Plus you apparently claim to be in Cincinnati????

[wolverine]

Downtown Atlanta is not abandoned. Its office vacancy does lag behind other areas such as midtown or Buckhead, but it's not abandoned. They make up with a diversified core of street level businesses, hotels, and highrise residential. That's unfair to point that out as a flaw in a thread such as this when a diversified core is what has held Detroit back. Very limited residential, lagging quantity of class A space, and street level vacancies. Many cities suffered recession vacancies % in the low 20's. In comparison, Atlanta is performing quite well in its recovery.

[Gannon]

Thankfully they are not coming to perimeter.. another 'buisness' area who's roads are also maxed out. It can take me 30 to 45 minutes to get on the freeway, who's exit is 2/10ths of a mile from my office. Fun times.

That helps explain why folks drive the way they do once they get ONTO that ring freeway...it is always some of the most harrowing driving. I cannot imagine doing that every day.

[Gannon]

My experiences in Atlanta have been largely positive, outside of their extended rush hours...but the segregation between rich and poor areas seem to make it a fiercely polarized town, economically.

But for the roving CEDIA convention [[which tends to the Custom Electronics Designers and Installers marketplace)...which has been in New Orleans, Dallas, Minneapolis, Denver, and Indianapolis over the last decades...their attendees have never been subject to more crime than near the convention hall in Atlanta.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Well then you're not particularly BRIGHT as your comment isn't close to reality. IF you've ever visited downtown Atlanta even you might be smart enough to see that it's very active and alive. Plus you apparently claim to be in Cincinnati????

I'm smarter than the average bear bud. I'm talking about the old downtown Atlanta, not midtown. I have a cousin who lives there, and he said the same thing. They are trying to re-vitalize it like Detroit. "I'll be sure to tell him you called him a liar".

[Trumpeteer]

I'm smarter than the average bear bud. I'm talking about the old downtown Atlanta, not midtown. I have a cousin who lives there, and he said the same thing. They are trying to re-vitalize it like Detroit. "I'll be sure to tell him you called him a liar".

Your cousin's not a "liar" just woefully lacking in understanding reality. "Old downtown Atlanta" is no where near needing revitalizing. It's incredibly vibrant and full of residential housing and some of the finest restaurants in the states. Anywhere along Peachtree, Baker, Courtland, Boulevard, Harris Streets, Marietta Blvd., just to name a few are awesome. NOW who else will you quote as "living there" that has first hand knowledge as apparently you haven't been here. "Revitalize like Detroit"??? NOWHERE needs revitalizing in the same manner as my old home of Detroit. Don't even compare as you haven't a clue.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

I'm not going to get into a pissing contest with you. I know what he said, since he lives there I considered he knows. But since you're a authority on Atlanta's demographic, I'll leave it alone. All I know is he says commuting around and about Atlanta is a cluster_uck nevertheless. The only place I can think of that's worse is Houston, Texas.

[Bham1982]

Your cousin's not a "liar" just woefully lacking in understanding reality. "Old downtown Atlanta" is no where near needing revitalizing. It's incredibly vibrant and full of residential housing and some of the finest restaurants in the states.

None of this is true. Downtown Atlanta is largely dead, to the disappointment of all the convention and hotel guests. Underground Atlanta sucks, nearby streets are largely vacant, and the side streets are parking lots and the like.

I have been in so many Atlanta meetings, and everyone basically "deals with it" like a huge burden, offset by the advantages of Hartsfield. People stay in the huge hotels and get drunk, or they take taxis to Buckhead.

And except for the generic chain steakhouses in the hotels [[your Ruths Chris/Mortons/Capital Grill expense account places), the Atlanta restaurant scene is basically everywhere but downtown.

[Spartan]

None of this is true. Downtown Atlanta is largely dead, to the disappointment of all the convention and hotel guests. Underground Atlanta sucks, nearby streets are largely vacant, and the side streets are parking lots and the like.

I have been in so many Atlanta meetings, and everyone basically "deals with it" like a huge burden, offset by the advantages of Hartsfield. People stay in the huge hotels and get drunk, or they take taxis to Buckhead.

And except for the generic chain steakhouses in the hotels [[your Ruths Chris/Mortons/Capital Grill expense account places), the Atlanta restaurant scene is basically everywhere but downtown.

Yeah, I went to Atlanta for a trade show last year and the immediate downtown area was as dead as any I've seen [[even Detroit). Even during the day it was fairly inactive. There were some areas around [[Buckhead, Midtown, etc) that were quite lively and had some good eating, but we couldn't do much of anything around the hotel. I asked multiple people [[residents, former residents and other visitors) for recommendations [[dinner, bars, things to do, etc) while I was there and every single one said that you basically had to leave downtown to find anything. The non-downtown areas of Atlanta are much nicer than the non-downtown areas of Detroit [[and many other cities) though.

[wolverine]

None of this is true. Downtown Atlanta is largely dead, to the disappointment of all the convention and hotel guests. Underground Atlanta sucks, nearby streets are largely vacant, and the side streets are parking lots and the like.

I have been in so many Atlanta meetings, and everyone basically "deals with it" like a huge burden, offset by the advantages of Hartsfield. People stay in the huge hotels and get drunk, or they take taxis to Buckhead.

And except for the generic chain steakhouses in the hotels [[your Ruths Chris/Mortons/Capital Grill expense account places), the Atlanta restaurant scene is basically everywhere but downtown.

If you explain it like that, then I'm in agreement. But another poster calling downtown Atlanta "abandoned" is certainly not true. Abandoned is what downtown Detroit continues to suffer from, though that reputation is diminishing. "Abandoned" is buildings with plywood over windows or broken glass. Downtown Atlanta does not share that commonality with Detroit.

[Bham1982]

If you explain it like that, then I'm in agreement. But another poster calling downtown Atlanta "abandoned" is certainly not true.

This is true, and good point. Atlanta's downtown does not suffer from abandoned buildings. It seems that anything old was bulldozed for parking lots.

Atlanta isn't a terrible place to have a business meeting. It has extensive convention space, it's easy to get to, costs are relatively low, and the city is very pro-business/pro-convention. It will never be a city that inspires much passion, though, as with New Orleans, San Francisco, NYC, etc.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

If you explain it like that, then I'm in agreement. But another poster calling downtown Atlanta "abandoned" is certainly not true. Abandoned is what downtown Detroit continues to suffer from, though that reputation is diminishing. "Abandoned" is buildings with plywood over windows or broken glass. Downtown Atlanta does not share that commonality with Detroit.

I'm the poster that said it was abandoned, which I admit was a wrong choice of words. With that said, my point still got across load and clear, Atlanta is so spread out to the point, it's downtown area is moot. Trumpeteer doesn't seem to think so however.

[Hermod]

This is not surprising news. Their customers are not, for the most part, in the Midwest, let alone Michigan. Southern states are growing and building lots of homes. We aren't. Yes, we're building some, but not on that scale. I wish they'd stay anyway, but I understand. I'm in the restaurant business. I wouldn't have my office far away from where my employees are working and customers are eating.

It's not unlike Comerica. Most of their business is now in the southwest. Why keep the HQ here?

Pulte builds all over the country. They will still be building homes in Michigan. They will still be hiring subcontactors with jobs for the construction trades. What is moving to Atlanta is just the CEO, his satraps, and the clerks and jerks needed to keep them functioning. As noted, this will place the HQ closer to the next expected new housing boom.

[Hermod]

I'm the poster that said it was abandoned, which I admit was a wrong choice of words. With that said, my point still got across load and clear, Atlanta is so spread out to the point, it's downtown area is moot. Trumpeteer doesn't seem to think so however.

Downtown Washington DC is moot as well except for the federal gummint facilities. I worked in the area and all of my visits to other offices for meetings etc were in varied parts of northern Virginia, I worked in NOVA [[at three different locations), lived in NOVA, and did all of my shopping in NOVA. The only time I went into the city was if I had visitors that wanted to see the Smithsonian, the Capitol, or the White House

[atl_runner]

True, but Atlanta is actually physically smaller than Detroit, so the region deserves some credit for keeping business within the city limits. More accurately, if Detroit would be more like Atlanta if New Center had been developed further and the Southfield skyscrapers had been located a few miles south.

This is the most true comparison of Atl to Detroit, and the New Center / Southfield comparison is spot on. Atlanta has three primary business districts within its very small city boundaries. Midtown is 5 minutes from Downtown, and Buckhead is another 10 minutes.. all connected by Peachtree street, so Imagine Detroit / Midtown / Southfield all connected by woodward, but on a much smaller, and therefore controlled scale, with quite a bit of density thrown in there.

There is a lot of mis information regarding Atlanta floating around this thread, but I am not one to sit here and defend it as some great urban utopia. That it is not. The road system is an absolute joke, and well, there is no water. Atlanta does what it does well, and what it does, is play the role of a small city, trying to model itself after big cities, and not pretend to be anything different. It both very generic and very unique all at the same time. It seriously lacks any sort of community feel, or true Atlanta flavor, and that is the biggest shame of it all. I've been here 13 years now [[from Detroit). 11 longer than expected. The recession and kids had a lot to do with that.

The state of Georgia though.. is a freaking nightmare. Backwards as backwards can be. Michigan is light years ahead of them, and I realize that is not saying much.

[jjw]

Motorola Solutions Inc. is scouting Atlanta for a headquarters — a move that could bring up to 800 jobs.
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/p...l-atlanta.html __________________

[MikeM]

And this has what to do with Detroit?

[jjw]

Just the draw to Atlanta in lieu of Pulte Groups possibility.

[Left_For_Texas]

There is not much left of Motorola. I worked for Motorola in the '80s when they were a Fortune 25 company. Since then they have systematically dismantled themselves. They were a major player in computer chip manufacturing, but they sold all of those facilities to Asian companies. All of their other businesses have been sold or outsourced as well. I thought the remaining phone business that Google bought was the end of the company. I can't think of a better example of an American company that sold their soul to foreign interests.

[MikeM]

Then maybe this should be merged with the Pulte thread or moved to the Non-Detroit section if we want to talk about the lure of Atlanta to corporations elsewhere in the country.